If you could step into any book either written or yet to be written, by any published author, who would the author be?

I want to live Edward Abbey’s life in Desert Solitaire.

Probbaly Stephen King. Yeah most of his stuff is horror, and one might not want to find oneself in most of his scenarios. But there’s something about the way he writes and how he establishes the moods that seem so…comfy and cozy. King is very good at making characters and putting you into a place, or a situation. Maybe it helps that most of his stories seem to take place in small towns, or cheesy highway motels and stuff lol. Gives the stories that warm and fuzzy feeling of togetherness and crap. But with his environments and characters, you feel like you’re really into it and that you know everyone. (I mean, every character in IT is someone I know, or have known…not that this is always good lol) Even if I’d eventually have to confront complete assholes and demons and zombies and shit, I find that the sense of humanity (although often corny, but that’s a lot of what I like about it) he goes for before plunging everything into chaos and loss is so comfortable and homey.
King’s books often have double meanings, where a more subtle meaning is always closer to real life, and usually seems a lot more important than the big bad monster…in fact I believe that most of the horror in his books is only there to give the more realistic characters and situations a reason to be in a book.

I denno what the hell I’m trying to say. I’d go live in his world, complete with ACDC playing everywhere, greasy burgers, and depending on what book I’m in, maybe I could have a mother who loves me, too. And if I end up in a book where someone’s mom is an asshat, no real difference from the real world for me. XD He’s like a sitcom writer kind of, where everything is perfect, or at least, a part of life if it isn’t, and only the horror gives it a reason to get any worse. I mean if I was a famous writer, as if some crazy lady would kidnap me and break my legs. But I’m not anyone famous, but in his world, maybe I could be, and I might not even get kidnapped…and if I wasn’t, eh, shit would still be cool.

That said, Robert E Howard. I could fuck shit up with a sword. That would kick ass.

I would make friends with Gatsby, and explain why Daisy is a shallow bitch who’s not worth the time of day. Of course, that would deprive the world of a great novel, but it would make me feel better.

Somerset Maugham!

Nicholson Baker’s Fermata.

He had a device that could stop time. Then he would move around while everyone else was “frozen”, and do all sorts of things (mostly sexual) to them.

A very clever and engaging book…

Ah who am I kidding by thinking about it; I have always wanted to be Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice .

Come to think of it I wouldn’t want to live in Herbert’s universe – it’s cold, brutal, uncaring and everyone ends up dead, disillusioned, or a monster /slash/ religious fanatic. There is not a single happy character in the book save the peasants on Caladan. Then again what the hell, at least it would be an interesting life. Fine, make me survive the gauntlet of the Ginaz school and become a swordmaster, give me weapons, and a noble house to serve, give me enemies to fight, and pit me against impossible odds, call me Duncan Idaho ;-)

Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice or Jo March in Little Women.

Bill Bryson. I would love to step into his world whether he is looking at the inverse or Shakespeare, he is always fascinating.

I’m packing my trunk, hoping on the Knight Bus, boarding the Hogwarts Express, and becoming a Gryffindor. Or maybe a Slytherin but let’s keep that to ourselves.

Dr Seuss. Real life sucks sometimes. I want a break from it.

^^what he said :)

Dr Seuss. Best. Answer. Yet.

@marinelife…. Bill Bryson writes non-fiction. He lives in the real world, but perhaps not yours? LOL

James Herriot.

Ernest Hemingway.

Philip José Farmer’s Riverworld series.

although, according to the plot, i am already there . . .

I think it might be cool to live in Charles Stross’ novel, Accelerando. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerando_(novel)). Imagine living at the information singularity, and being able to download yourself into any form or hardware or wetware you wanted to experience. Imagine no longer being dependent on your body’s survival, but being able to renew it at will. Imagine immortality!

@wundayatta that’s a fantastic idea. I remember a Discovery Channel programme about interstellar travel and adjusting your body depending on the type of planet you encounter. Transcending the physical form in this way would give endless possibilities for exploration. Question is is it really possible to remove the body from the equation and still remain “yourself”.

@fremen_warrior . . . The mind does not particulate. You would still need a vessel capable of supporting your brain, your specific chemical output, and a form of nervous system to tie them together. To remain “yourself” you have to have some form body.

On the other hand, if you believe in what Indian fakirs are capable of . . .

In my imagination, all bodies are equally integrated with mind and self remains substantially the same. Of course mind changes as body changes, but in my world, not unrecognizably so.

I’d have to go with J.K. Rowling’s world of Harry Potter.

In the world of Ficton, I have always wanted to visit Christopher Stasheff’s World of Gramarye

So many great answers. @Symbeline if you chose the dark tower you would not only have the choice of living forever but in multiple universes. I love King too.

Dr. Seuss everything seems so solvable and fun it is indeed a good answer.

Heck why not be Duncan Idaho or his clone. Maybe the worms are happy too and they have a remarkable lifestyle. Wouldn’t try for the captured one’s though. Seems kind of zooish.

I always loved Elizabeth Bennet and Jo March. I wonder why so many people like them when they were not always the most lovable characters in the novels.

Gatsby does seem like an interesting character to know. The way and the world he is portrayed in is so compelling. But not my choice.

I share a fondness for animals and pastoral scenes and drives. So beautiful choice, but there isn’t enough conflict for me.

A world of magic and adventure is compelling for Harry Potter.

Hemingway is also a compelling choice.

Accelerando I have not read but it does sounds stimulating. Maybe too much so.

The rest I have not read. But maybe I will put them on my too read list. A world good enough to inject your body into must be compelling indeed.

I think I’d have a good time being Effie in “You Can’t Take It with You,” by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.

@rosehips Interesting. You know, I never read any of the DT books, save for one short story that was based in that world/universe. After I learned about those books, search me why, I don’t know, but I kinda felt disappointed that most of what happens in king’s non DT books had something to do with that other universe.
I will however, read them some day. :) I’m sure they probably kick ass.

@Symbeline Not all of them are related and some of the references don’t really correlate well with the series. I never thought I would get into the DT because well one book is rather large and now there are 10 of them. King added a book in the middle, that just came out in the last two years or so. I have not read the newest and I am not sure I will, but I got started on them while searching for something to do while in an airport. I never can put one of his books down after I start reading them.

Ha neither can I. Probably won’t be any different when I check out DT, either. Ya know there’s prolly some Wiki out there that explains everything about which books fits in where, and which one is a DT related one and which ones aren’t but…I always loved the whole mystery thing I got before I learned of DT lol.

Hm, I might also step into The Perks of Being a Wallflower and seduce Patrick, who is completely wasting his time with that self-repressed football player Brad.

My choice would be Jack Finney’s Time and Again, in order to realize my fantasy of time travel. I’d get Si Morley to teach me how to go back in time (and I think we’d have some good conversations to boot!).

@AngryWhiteMale That is one of my very favorite books in the whole world. I love the way Finney describes Morley’s experience of the reality of the past.

Oh, I love it as well, @janbb. I’ve read it more times than I care to count. One of the few books I can re-read and not get bored with.

@AngryWhiteMale We should meet up at the Dakota and see if we can time travel.

Sounds like a plan, @janbb!